Kämpfer:Volume 12 Chapter 5

Volume 12, Final Chapter  

    [Hmm.]  

    I woke up with a groan like an idiot.  

    The alarm didn't go off. I broke it. I could just buy a new one, but I've been so busy lately

that I don't have time.  

    I got out of bed and glanced at the table.  

    [Good morning.]  

    I greeted the creature that made Shizuku's voice as usual, but it was silent again today. Not

just today, the stuffed animal had stopped talking.  

    I petted the Seppuku Tiger's head. Even though it can't talk anymore, I still plan to keep it

in my room.  

    A few days passed after that. Oh, my goodness, the days go by so quickly when I have free

time. I ate breakfast and rushed to school. Even though my eyes looked lifeless, I still had to

do my student duties. When we got  

    to the men's club, Higashida came over to talk to me as usual.  

    [Hey, Natsuru, we're planning to go out and play next time. Are you coming? You turned it

down before, but you should come this time.]  

    [Oh my god.]  

    Higashida was startled. He seemed surprised by my quick agreement.  

    [I told you right away, there are no girls this time. Sakura Kaede isn't going either.]  

    [It's okay.]  

    Higashida seemed surprised again.  

    I'm no longer full of "Sakura Kaede, Sakura Kaede" like I used to be. I still say, "She's so

beautiful," but that's all. I'll probably stay like that from now on.  

    That incident, the one that happened under Sakura Kaede's house, doesn't seem to have

made it into the news. It seems Shizuku did a lot to cover it up. What an incredible woman.

After  

    school that day, I asked Shizuku what had become of Sakura Kaede, the crux of the matter.  

    [She's fine.]  

    Shizuku answered me, sitting in her chair in the student council office.  

    [She has no external injuries. Just a little bit of her hair is singed. And she doesn't

remember the incident.]  

    [What's going on?]  

    [She doesn't remember anything. It's like her bad temper disappeared along with the

statue.]  

    [Is that so?] ]  

    [Hmm.]  

    Seeing that I was still not relieved, Shizuku added:  

    [So what do you want to do? Report Sakura Kaede? Or tell her everything and force her to

reflect? You might feel better if you do that. But it will only hurt Sakura Kaede. And hatred

will only create new hatred.]  

    [.]

    [Besides, if Sakura Kaede knew the truth, she might not only be hurt, but she might even

refuse to come to school. If things go wrong, it might even get worse. So it's better not to let

her know anything.]  

    Shizuku said. That's right. There is such a thing as happiness when you don't know

anything.  

    [What about me?]  

    I pointed at myself. Shizuku: "Puff!" She laughed.  

    [To her, you're just a friend she's known since junior high. That's all.]  

    [Oh.]  

    Even that's back to square one. Although it doesn't bother me anymore, I still feel a little

regretful. Afterwards,  

    Shizuku didn't say anything to comfort me.  

    I heard that it was Shizuku and Kondou Mikoto who moved the white Kämpfers to the

ground. They complained to me that it was quite tiring work. Of course, the Bracelet of Oath

was gone, so their memories were gone too. They were probably just unconsciou s at the

time, so they weren't put into the tank. They were lucky to be alive.  

    [There's something I find strange.]  

    [What's that?]  

    [The Kämpfers in the research facility disappeared.]  

    How did that happen?  

    [Everyone disappeared. Senpai and Kuzuhara too.]  

    [Who moved them away?]  

    [There was no one there except me. I think the stone statues were destroyed, so their

bodies couldn't be preserved.]  

    [So, that means it's about those people.]  

    No one will remember. The memory of them will be forever lost in everyone's mind.  

    It sounds so sad. Shizuku is probably the only one who still remembers Shinomiya Tamiko

and the others clearly.  

    Our student council president said helplessly, "It can't be helped."  

    "Like I said. Memories are memories. We must live on."  

    Then we changed the subject.  

    "I treated the female Natsuru as a medical condition. You're currently on leave from the

women's club. There's no need to go."  

    "I'm strong enough."  

    "You can't transform, can you?" "  

    So right. Now that the Bracelet of Oath is gone, I'm no longer Kämpfer. "  

    "Your class president and the others seem very regretful. They ask if there's anything more

profitable than this."  

    "Those people really haven't changed at all."  

    I won't be going to the women's club anymore. Admittedly, I still feel a little lonely.  

    Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the student council office door. There was only

one person who would knock like that."  

    [Natsuru! Shizuku!]  

    Just as I expected, it's Kondou Mikoto.  

    [Come play!]  

    I blinked. How can you be so energetic? You have an endless supply of gasoline, don't you?

Are you nuclear -powered?  

    [What do you want to play?]  

    [Build a boat out of cardboard and paddle it across Tokyo Bay.]  

    [Didn't we do that in elementary school?]  

    Kondou Mikoto raised her finger and shook it from side to side.  

    [No, no, no. This time is different. We're using waterproof cardboard.]  

    [Same!]  

    And my special curry.]  

    [No!]  

    I checked the fridge this morning and it's still full. Does this guy want my life to be

dominated by curry?  

    I looked at the clock on the wall. Oh, no. It's time.  

    [I'm going home first.]  

    [Ah, let's go together.]  

    Kondou Mikoto pouted. Shizuku stopped her.  

    [That's not okay, Kondou Mikoto.]  

    [But.]  

    [Don't get in their way.]  

    Our student council president said so.  

    I came out of the student council office and started running. It might be a little late. I

wondered if she was waiting for me.  

    I ran out of the boys' club and ran towards the girls' club. There was a girl there.  

    She saw me and started waving.  

    [Natsuru -san!]  

    Akane's eyes were full of smiles.  

    We've started dating. Although our relationship isn't very close yet, we're always together.

Maybe strictly speaking, we're not dating. Because neither of us has said to the other,

"Please date me." But we're already very happy to maintain this relatio nship.  

    We walked home shoulder to shoulder. Although this scene would be a disaster if the

school discovered it or if Higashida found out, I didn't care.  

    Akane often told me about the books she'd read or recommended interesting ones. I, in

turn, chatted with her about things happening at school and even mentioned going out with

Higashida and the others. Although our conversations were often tangential, it was these

small talk that connected us.  

    "Um, I've been thinking about that,"  

    she said.  

    "What's that?"  

    "That thing. That incident in the underground, Sakura Kaede, when she was little, she had

a story about it, right?"  

    "Hmm."  

    "I wonder if Sakura Kaede herself possessed that ability in that story. She might have been

acting according to her own ideas."  

    "

    In the end, it wasn't about the mediator or anything, but rather she herself became the

one manipulating Kämpfer. In other words, that's what Sakura Kaede wanted for herself."  

    I covered Akane's mouth with my hand.  

    "Let's not talk about that."  

    "Ugh."  

    "That matter is over." Everything is sealed away in that basement .  

    Including that rotting stone statue and Sakura Kaede's alter ego. Of course, I still

remember those things. But I'll just let this sink deep into my mind. It 's something I can't

forget.     Akane pushed my hand away.

[Wow, that's hard work.]

[Sorry.]

[By the way, my dad asked me to take you to his place again.]

[He wants to tell you more about his job change experience.]

[He says it'll definitely be useful in this day and age.]

[Wow.]

Akane's dad still seems baffled by how I got out of that basement.

It's going to be a bit of a hassle to deal with him, so I'll see him later.

[Let's talk about this next time, okay?]

Akane puffed up her cheeks.

[Ah—, Natsuru-san, you haven't forgotten, have you?]

[I will remember.]

[Really?]

[Of course.]

[And you haven't forgotten me either, have you?]

I turned to look at Akane's face.

She was startled, wearing glasses. Akane was still the same as always.

The girl who never spoke to me in a rude tone. This was Akane.

Was that just an auditory hallucination? No, I did hear it.

I reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

[I haven't forgotten. I absolutely won't forget.]

Did she hear it? Did my feelings reach that conceited and rude woman?

The one who found her existence just by cursing?

I don't know. But the girl before me smiled faintly.

(End)

Translator's Notes

This chapter was translated from the Chinese translation of the original Japanese text.

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